经济学人：气候谈判最终达成减少化石燃料使用的协议

Most evenings at COP28, the latest instalment of the annual United Nations climate conference, delegates were treated to a dazzling light show.

在联合国年度气候大会的最新一期——COP28上，大多数晚上，代表们都能看到一场令人眼花缭乱的灯光秀。

It transformed the central dome of the venue, Expo City in Dubai, into a teeming coral reef.

它将会场迪拜世博城的中心圆顶改造成了一个丰富多采的珊瑚礁。

Priority was given to prettiness over precision.

美观优先，而不是精确。

Turtles swam cosily with similar-sized humpback whales.

海龟与体型相似的座头鲸一起惬意地游着。

A change in soundtrack saw them suddenly turned into dancing, blood-red squid.

配乐的变化让他们突然变成了跳舞的血红乌贼。

In the end the conference delivered the same combination of deliberate choreography and otherworldly fantasy.

最后，会议提供了同样的精心编排和超凡脱俗的幻想组合。

For the first time in more than three decades of international climate diplomacy,

这是三十多年来国际气候外交的第一次，

all parties explicitly agreed to move away from using fossil fuels in energy systems.

各方明确同意在能源系统中停止使用化石燃料。

These systems generate vast wealth, but also the bulk of the world's emissions.

这些系统创造了巨大的财富，但也产生了世界上大部分的排放。

On December 13th the meeting's president, Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company,

12月13日，会议主席，阿布扎比国家石油公司首席执行官苏丹·贾比尔，

announced that the agreement would be passed without objections.

宣布该协议将无异议获得通过。

The plenary rose in applause.

全体人员在掌声中起立。

Outside, the desert sun beat down on a planet that is already around 1.2°C warmer than in pre-industrial times.

室外，沙漠的阳光照射在一个已经比前工业化时代高出1.2摄氏度左右的星球上。

The world's largest gas-fired power plant, just a stone's throw away, ran on regardless.

世界上最大的燃气发电厂，就在一箭之遥，不顾一切地继续运行。

Nevertheless, it was a rare success for multilateralism, given the 198 delegations involved.

尽管如此，鉴于有198个代表团参与，这是多边主义罕见的成功。

The conference took place against the backdrop of wars in Ukraine and the Gaza strip,

这次会议是在乌克兰和加沙地带发生战争的背景下举行的，

both of which have worsened divisions between the rich and poor worlds.

这两者都加剧了富国和穷国之间的鸿沟。

重点词汇

United Nations 联合国

light show 灯光变幻表演

central dome 中央穹顶 ; 中央圆丘

coral reef 珊瑚礁

In the end 最后，最终 ; 结果 ; 终于 ; 到头来

combination of 的组合 ; 连用

For the first time 第一次 ; 首次 ; 在第一时间 ; 从第一次开始 ; 对于第一次

three decades 三十年

fossil fuels 化石燃料 ; fossil fuel的复数

vast wealth 巨额财富 ; 万贯家财